"Earlier this month, voters in the town of Mountain Village, Colorado, overwhelmingly approved a 5% tax on lift tickets sold at Telluride Ski Resort to help pay for a replacement for the gondola that connects the town of Mountain Village to the town of Telluride, Colorado. A similar ballot measure failed in neighboring Telluride by less than 20 votes. The free gondola that connects the two mountain towns, first installed in 1996, is nearing the end of its designed lifespan."
"The San Miguel Authority for Regional Transit, or SMART, has been exploring ways of funding the gondola replacement, along with the Town of Telluride, the Town of Mountain Village, and Telluride Ski and Golf. The Denver Post has reported that SMART had an agreement with Telluride's owner, Chuck Horning, for the resort to contribute $1.5 million per year to help cover operational costs, but that Horning pulled his offer shortly before an agreement could be signed."
"Northwest of Telluride, the Utah Department of Transportation has been pursuing a project to construct a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon, connecting Salt Lake City residents with Alta, Snowbird, and other recreation destinations in the canyon. From the start, the project has received intense opposition, with an overwhelming majority of public comments on the final environmental review classified as negative, and several lawsuits filed against the decision approving the gondola."
Mountain Village voters approved a 5% tax on lift tickets sold at Telluride Ski Resort to help pay for a replacement of the free gondola that connects Mountain Village and Telluride. A similar ballot in Telluride failed by fewer than 20 votes. The gondola, installed in 1996, is nearing the end of its designed lifespan. SMART has been exploring funding options with the two towns and Telluride Ski and Golf. An earlier proposed contribution of $1.5 million per year from resort owner Chuck Horning was withdrawn before being finalized. The tax exempts season-pass products, is expected to raise about $2.5 million annually, and SMART reports annual operating costs near $5.6 million. The Utah Department of Transportation is pursuing a separate gondola project in Little Cottonwood Canyon that has faced intense public opposition and lawsuits, and Alta and Snowbird have not agreed to contribute financially.
Read at SnowBrains
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